Somehow Christmas is just around the corner, which also means that so is a whole lot of temptation. It’s that time of year when you’re surrounded by enough tins of Quality Street and cheese platters to last you a lifetime. Her Campus Nottingham is here to guide you through the best ways to avoid the inevitable Christmas weight gain.
1. Go skinny at Starbucks:
Arguably one of the best ways to celebrate the festive season is to indulge in the lovely, syrupiness of specialty Christmas drinks from our favourite coffee house chain. It’s easy to forget how many calories and grams of sugar are in our Gingerbread Lattes and Black Forest Hot Chocolates, but simply asking for skimmed or soya milk and sugar free syrups can quickly make us feel a little less guilty! See our extensive guide to Christmas Coffee Calorie Cutting.
2. Stay hydrated:
We can often mistake thirst for hunger, so a great way to prevent picking at unhealthy Christmas snacks is to replace that mince pie with a glass of water. Drinking some water before you hit the buffet table or sit down for your Christmas dinner can make you feel fuller and stop you over-eating too!
3. Fill up on veggies:
Piling your plate with vegetables can save on a lot of calories and fill you up before you go in for a second helping of goose fat roast potatoes or pigs in blankets. If you don’t like the traditional Brussel sprout (let’s face it, who does?!) then there’s plenty of other seasonal veg like parsnips and peas.
4. Take a post-dinner walk:
After battling through that enormous Christmas dinner and pudding, (if you’ve got room for it) the only thing you want to do is lie down and sleep it off, right? Well going for a brisk, half hour walk can burn over 100 calories and eliminate that bloated feeling. So drag your family outside and walk your dinners off.
5. Alcohol in moderation:
The countless Christmas parties and meals out can add a lot of extra units onto your usual drinking habits. In addition to the calories in alcohol, large quantities can cause your blood sugar levels to plummet; making that late night stop off at the chicken shop seem absolutely vital to fulfil your carb craving.
Edited by Georgina Varley
Sources:
http://www.hercampus.com/school/nottingham/guide-christmas-coffee-calorie-cutting
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/winterhealth/Pages/Avoidwinterweightgain.aspx
http://ahangoverfreelife.com/2013/11/15/the-doner-kebab-effect/
Image sources:
http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/4d04d8d5bf9c4ca198c9b1a94db5474f.jpg
http://mononicole.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/1359215162_glass-of-water1.jpg
http://www.4freephotos.com/images/u2/Couple-walking-in-snow709.jpg